“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV).

Every farmer knows this principle. If a farmer has four sacks of seed in his barn and looks at his barren field, he doesn’t start griping, “There’s no crop—I wish there was a crop!” He just goes out and starts planting seed. That seed then reproduces, and the farmer gets more than he had when he started.

When you have a need, plant a seed. The only way the farmer gets anything out of the seed is by planting it. If he holds on to it, then that’s all he’ll ever have. But if he lets it go, it multiplies.

This principle of sowing and reaping is true with your money. It’s true with everything in your life! It may seem illogical that when you have a need, you need to give. That’s why it requires faith.

Why did God set it up that way? Because God is a giver. He is the most generous giver in the universe, and he wants you to learn to be like him. If you don’t learn to be generous and you’re always worrying about what you’ve got rather than giving it away, you’ll never be like Christ.

God says he rewards you when you choose to be like him and give generously: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38 NLT).

When you hoard your money, that will be all you’ve got. But when you give it away, God multiplies it in ways that bless you and bring him glory.